The Dance
by Coyote Laughs
Summary: Freddie Benson returns to Seattle with a daughter in tow.  With the help of his friends, he gets his life back in order, in time for it to get all topsy turvy again, thanks to those selfsame friends.
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer**: I'm just playing around with these characters. Don't own them at all.

* * *

Chapter One

Heart to Heart * Welcome Home

Unexpected Dinner Guests

"Hey baby. I'm sorry it's been a while, but I just couldn't come. Work's been a real pain, and Izzy, well, Izzy, she's growing up real fast." The man halted his speech, his words caught in his throat. "And I just find it kind of hard to come down here, to see you..." He looked away briefly. "It still hurts. A day doesn't go by when I don't think about you or about your smile. Or what you meant to our little family." He began to tear up. "Dammit, I told myself I wasn't going to cry. That I was going to be strong." Falling to his knees, his head in his hands, he sobbed quietly to himself. "I can't... I can't..." He breathed in deeply. "I have to... for Izzy. She has your hair, and your smile. My eyes though. But I always see you in her..."

He looked back behind him and saw a little girl standing with another woman. Looking forward, he laughed softly to himself. "You know what she told me the other day. She said 'Daddy, don't be sad. Mommy will always be with us.' She then touched my heart and said, 'Because she'll always be there, right Poppa? Cause that's what Mommy told me...' And she looked at me with her big brown eyes. I lost it there. Totally broke down." He chuckled softly. "You would've called me a big baby..."

The man ran his fingers through tousled brown hair. Taking a deep breathe, he began again. "I just wanted to come and tell you, we're moving. I'm taking Izzy to Seattle. I... I just can't live here anymore. Everywhere I go, I constantly think of things that we've done. I can't travel down one street of Vancouver and not think of you instantly... and... and it's taking it's toll on me. So I have to... for me. But I know you'll understand. You always did know me better than I knew myself."

He looked back again. "Carly's here. She's been such a big help. With everything. I know I couldn't have made it through everything without here. She's watching Izzy right now." He smiles softly. "Izzy's rather taken with her. Of course, it helps that she IS a pop star. We got lucky when Carly became our friend."

"I've got to go baby. I want to get to Seattle before rush hour traffic. And I promise, I'll come every month to visit you." He looked down at the ground. "I love you so much baby. It still hurts so bad..." He sighed deeply as his hand touches the gravestone. "I'll love you, til the day I die, I promise..."

He stood slowly, his hand still on the stone. "I love you," he whispered to the stone. Turning, he stumbled the first few feet because of the tears in his eyes, but quickly caught himself.

"Poppa," the little girl yelled and hurtled herself into his legs. Looking up, she smiled, several gaps showing in her front teeth. "Did you have a good talk with Mommy?"

"Yes I did Izzy. I told her that we're moving..."

"Can I go talk to her now?"

He nodded, "Yes you can, little one..." He watched his daughter run over the gravestone and give it a big hug. Izzy sat and talked happily with the gravestone, telling it everything and anything. Looking at his silent companion, he quietly said, "yes?"

"Freddie, I know it's only been a year since, but I'm glad you're moving. Seattle will be good for you and Isabelle. And I can spend more time with my favorite god-daughter."

He laughed wryly. "You're only god-daughter."

Carly grinned back at him. "Still my favorite..."

They both pause and watched Izzy run back to them. Freddie smiled softly down at his six year old daughter, "Well little one, are you ready to go?"

She nodded solemnly back at her dad. "Yes Poppa, I am..." She looked back at the gravestone. "Is it okay for us to leave?"

Freddie touched her on her heart. "What did you tell me the other day? That Mommy will always be in our heart. She'll always be with us, little one."

He took one long, last look back, tears glistening in his eyes. "Always little one." The trio stepped into the SUV as the clouds parted slightly and fingers of light played across ground. One shone on the gravestone that had just recently been visited, spotlighting the lettering on it. "Always..."

Wendy Anne Benson

Blessed Friend, Devoted Mother and

Beloved Wife

* * *

Freddie opened the door to his new house. Turning to his daughter, he said, "Welcome home, little one..." He watched as as she took everything in. "I know it doesn't look like much, but we'll work on it, and soon, it'll be home..."

Isabelle turned to her dad. "Oh, it's great Poppa! We're right on the water, and there's even a fenced yard! So can I have a dog? Please Poppa, please?"

He grinned down at her. "Okay, okay, but not until we're settled down, okay little one?"

She squealed loudly. "Thanks Poppa, thanks a whole lot. I can't wait!" She ran up the stairs, looking from room to room. "I want this one," she yelled down the stairs.

Not much had to be done to the house. Freddie had gotten a home improvement specialist to fix up the inside of the house. New wooden floors were put in, new paint was on the wall, and all new appliances were placed into the kitchen. The movers had efficiently placed all the boxes in their respective rooms. All that had to be done was to take all the things out of the boxes.

Izzy was quickly done with her room. She stepped back. Tons of stuffed animals were on her bed. All her clothes were in the proper place. She was too much like her mother to leave clothes strewn about. The posters of cute animals and various music groups were hung on her wall with her favorite, a personalized poster of Carly, hung in a place of prominence. Smiling to herself, she walked out of her room and down the stairs to see what her dad was doing. He was seated on the floor in the middle of the den/office, boxes stacked around him. Quietly walking up closer to him, she could tell he was looking down at something. Then she saw the tears. "Oh Poppa," she softly cried out, her tiny heart breaking to see her father crying. She hugged him tight, and he hugged her back.

"I miss your mom..." was all he said.

"I miss her too." And they sat, weeping together in the middle of the den long into the middle of the night.

Later, as Izzy lay in bed, she thought about what her mom would say or do to make her Poppa happy again. She also thought about all the movies she watched without her dad's permission. And then she knew. She'd find her dad a new girlfriend.

* * *

The Canlis Restaurant was one of the finest dining establishments in Seattle. It was known to cater to the rich and famous, and reservations were always recommended, for the wait list was always at least an hour. So Freddie wondered what the hell he was doing there, dragging his seven year daughter along. _Oh yeah, _he thought, _Carly would fit into that rich and famous category._ The maitre d' sneered arrogantly at them, "Yes?"

Freddie grinned and looked at the man. "We're here with Carly Shay. We should be on the list, Freddie Benson and her god-daughter, Isabelle." _Chew on that, you arrogant little man. _ He watched as the maitre d's eyes widen.

Freddie had to give it to the man; he recovered pretty quickly. "This way sir. And young miss." He lead them into a private dining area. "I hope you enjoy your dinner here, and if you need anything else, don't hesitate to ask for me, my name is Pierre."

Not minutes later after they were seated, Carly walked in. She kissed Freddie on the cheek and gave Izzy a big bear hug. "How do you like Seattle so far, Izzy?"

"I love it so far, but I didn't realize that any place could rain more than Vancouver." The grown-ups all laughed. "And Poppa promised to get me a dog too!" She grinned happily at her dad, while all he could do was roll his eyes.

"Yeah, she caught me in a moment of weakness," was all he could say in his defense.

"When are you not in a moment of weakness," Carly playfully asked.

"Uggh," Freddie moaned. "Can we please have a civil dinner?" The two girls began to laugh, and Freddie quickly joined in.

The dinner proceeded apace, with only one small incident of any note. Freddie had gone outside to take an overseas business call, and Izzy and Carly were left all alone. Izzy turned to Carly and softly stated, "I think my dad needs a girlfriend. Will you be it?"

Carly nearly choked on her coffee. "W-what?"

Izzy said, "Will you be my dad's girlfriend?"

Carly shook her head, "I can't Izzy. Me and your dad, well, we work better as best friends. We tried dating once, but it was just weird. It was like, ummm, dating my own brother." Carly's body shook a bit. "It was just... ewww..."

"Well, ok..." was all Izzy said. She looked a bit crest fallen.

Carly looked thoughtfully at Izzy. "But I might have an idea...," she grinned. "Just give me a couple of days, okay Izzy?"

"Okay, Aunt Carly..." said Izzy, grinning back.

Freddie walked in and looked at the two females grinning at each other. "Uh-oh. I'm going back outside, where it's safe..."

Dessert was soon served, and the evening wound down to a close. The trio stepped out of the restaurant and instantly were bombarded by flashes of light.

"Carly, Carly, how long have you been seeing Freddie," asked one reporter.

"Freddie, was Wendy just a replacement for Carly," asked another.

"Carly, when are you two getting married," yet another asked.

"Where's Sam in all of this Freddie? Will you two get back together?" another reporter asked.

Freddie turned to the reported that asked the first question of him. "What did you say," he asked dangerously. The night turned silent as all eyes turned to watch the upcoming confrontation. "What did you say," Freddie asked again. His fists clenched and unclenched as he glared at the frightened reporter.

Finding something of a spine, the reporter asked, "I asked if it was true that Wendy might have been just a stand-in for Carly all these years."

Freddie glared at the reporter. "Do you know me?" He then roughly pushed the reporter way. "Do you know how it feels to lose your love?" Another shove. "To watch the mother of your only daughter die in your arms? Do you? Well do you?" Freddie grabbed the camera away and threw it on the ground, smashing it to pieces.

"Hey, that's my camera... you'll pay for that..."

Freddie turned his attention back to the reporter. A red mist descended upon him and the next thing he knew, the reporter was on the ground, a hand clutching at his bloody nose. "You, my wife's name will never ever leave your lips again. You got it?" The down reporter nodded mutely up at Freddie. "The rest of you jackals get out of my way..." With that, Freddie took his daughter's hand and made his way into Carly's limo, to the snap and pop of camera flashes.

* * *

**Author's Note:** Please read the Cabal's writings. They're so much better than I am...

Arrossisce… aussiemma… axel100… BaalRules… BoxOfTrinkets… boxofpiglets… Commander Lagasse… Coyote Laughs… ItalianBabexo8… iCabal… iCarlyangst…

iLuvNathanKrEsS… JamesTheGreater… KingxLeon21… Myjumpingsocks… ober22… pairababes… Pieequals36… pigwiz… Tech-Man… The Earl of Sandwich… xXACCEBXx


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two**

E TV * Nolan's Bar and Grill *

Surprise at Court

"Good afternoon, I'm Hailey Stewart, and this is the morning edition of E-TV. Today we have when ex-web stars go bad. Yesterday, shockingly, Freddie Benson, ex-web star from the hit internet show iCarly, viciously attacked a reporter and maliciously destroyed his camera. More on this attack later this hour."

A pale, manicured hand touched the mute button while the commercials ran. "Hmmmm...," was all the owner of the hand said.

"Yesterday, Freddie Benson, of iCarly fame, went rampant on a reporter when asked a question. The reporter was treated for a broken nose and some other minor scraps and bruises. Our sources within the Seattle Police Department told E-TV that Freddie Benson has been charged with assault and battery earlier this morning. Our sources also told us that Carly Shaw paid the $10,000 dollar bond for Freddie Benson. Interesting indeed. Because it is such a high profile case, the case itself has been expedited, with the preliminary hearing set for next Wednesday. And you can be sure that E-TV will have a reporter right there to report first-hand observations."

The pale, manicured hand pressed a button on the oak desk. "Erica, cancel all my appointments for the next two weeks. Also, tell the partners that I'll be doing some pro-bono work in Seattle during that time." She thought a bit. "And will you please make my arrangements for the Seattle trip?"

The intercom buzzed back. "Would you like the same arrangements as last time?"

"Yes, please. Thank you Erica... and I'd like to leave later this evening."

Minutes passed and the intercom buzzed again. "Okay Ms Puckett, I have everything arranged just like last time. Have a nice trip..."

Sam stared at the framed picture on her desk for a long while. It was an old picture of the iCarly gang, with a smiling Sam in between her two best friends, her arms flung around them both. _A much happier Sam,_ she thought wryly. _Hopefully, I can make up for everything that has happened. _Her eyes wandered to the picture throughout the day, paying particular attention to the smiling brown haired tech producer.

0 o 0

Nolan's Bar and Grill was acknowledged as one of the best kept secrets in all of Seattle, and the locals in Ranier Beach preferred to keep it that way. The steaks were top of the line Angus and were always grilled to perfection. And Wednesday night were always hopping, with the Maulers, a popular local band, playing their own brand of reggae to an appreciative crowd.

So every Wednesday, Freddie and Izzy made it a tradition to have dinner at Nolan's. Freddie appreciated the steaks, while Izzy just loved the atmosphere. This Wednesday was no different, with Freddie and Izzy walking in and quickly taking their favorite table in the corner.

"Hiya squirt, Mr Benson," a blonde waitress greeted them as she walked up to the table. "The usual?"

Freddie looked over at Izzy before replying in the affirmative. "Yes please, and I told you to call me Freddie, Tiffany."

The teen blushed and smiled shyly. "I will, whenever you start calling me Tiff."

Freddie grinned back. "Okay, okay Tiff, the usual then." His eyes roamed the dining room. "Good crowd tonight..." Tiffany was soon back with a Sprite for Izzy and a beer for Freddie. He leaned back, watching Izzy colour and just enjoying the good energy coming from the room.

Halfway through their meal, Freddie and Izzy were accosted by two men. One of them spoke, while the other brought out a small digital camera that he had been hiding. "Freddie, how do you feel about the trial? Is it really true about you and Carly? And..."

Before Freddie could even react, both of the men were grabbed by two much larger Nolan employees. Both men were frog-marched to the front door. Arnold, the manager of Nolan's, roughly took the camera away. He then leaned in and whispered something to both men. Freddie watched as both their eyes grew wide as they listened to Arnold, and when it looked like Arnold had finished, they both nodded once. The two men were then not gently pushed out of the door.

A slow smile spread across Arnold's face as he watched the two reporters scramble out of the parking lot. He turned and walked over to where Freddie and Izzy were sitting. "Hiya Freddie, squirt..." He reached out and playfully tussled Izzy's hair. He looked over at Freddie. "Sorry about that. Didn't realize they were reporters. Sneaky little ba... errrr... guys."

Freddie laughed softly to himself. "It's okay. I'm glad you took care of it. Don't want to have to go to court for another trial..."

Arnold gave off a loud laugh. "No, we don't want that to happen..." He looked up and spied an older man walking up. "Freddie, I don't think you've ever met Luke, the owner of Nolan's."

Freddie shook his head and extended his hand to Luke. The man was dressed in faded blue jeans, a white t-shirt, boots, and a vest full of patches. Unbeknownst to both men, this was the start of a great friendship.

0 o 0

Freddie sat nervously in court. His lawyer still hadn't shown up, and court was suppose to begin in thirty minutes. He looked back at where Carly and Izzy were sitting and raised a questioning eye-brow. Carly just knowingly smiled back. He was not reassured. Drumming his fingers along the edge of the table, he looked over at the prosecutor's table. They must have felt his eyes upon them because they all turned, looked at Freddie, and smiled the same predatory smile. He was definitely not reassured.

Another fifteen minutes crawled by, when the doors to the courtroom were thrown open. In swept Samantha Puckett, dressed to the nines in a smart business suit, with her long blonde hair kept in a tight bun. An aura of confidence and menace preceded her down the court aisle, one meant to cause fear in the opposition and to throw them off their game. And fear they did. She sat down next to Freddie and gave him a tight smile.

He stared at her. "Y-y-you?"

"Yes, me. I hope you're a bit more articulate when you take the stand, or you'll ruin my perfect record, and I'm sure you don't want to be around me if you were the cause of that."

The opposing counsel had dropped their predatory smiles and were nervously twittering amongst themselves. Freddie managed to catch snatches of the conversation.

"Thought she was in LA." "... you see what she did to the last lawyer..." "... didn't know SHE'd call in the big guns..."

After the bailiff called the court to order and introduced the judge, the prosecuting lawyers quickly asked to approach the bench. Sam followed the opposing lawyers up to the bench, smiling broadly as they asked for an adjournment of the trial in light of new 'evidence'. The judge sternly looked down upon the opposing team and granted them one until the next Monday, but warned them if they didn't have everything prepared, he was more than willing to throw the case out. Looking visibly relieved, the lawyers assured the judge that they would have everything in order by then, and stumbled quickly to their seats. Sam sashayed back to her seat, grinning broadly. Throwing a wink at Izzy, she clapped Freddie on the back. "No worries, dork. You're in good hands now."

The court all rose and the pronouncement was made that the preliminary hearing would be adjourned until the next Monday. After the dismissal, the noise in the room rose considerably. Sam smirked at the opposing table, then turned to look at Freddie. Izzy and Carly had joined Freddie at the table. "Carly, Freddie." She looked Izzy up and down. "Little one. I expect you have many questions Freddie, and I'll be happy to answer them at dinner tonight. Canlis, seven o'clock." She kissed Carly on the cheek. "I'll see you there also." Sam turned on her heel and walked briskly out of the courtroom, her mere glare parting the crowd to let her pass.

Freddie slumped back into his seat, dazed, while his daughter watched Sam leave. "Wow, who's that?" As Carly grinned down at Izzy, she slowly grinned back, dawning comprehension shown on her young face. Izzy whispered conspiratorially to Carly, "Poppa's so in trouble..."

* * *

Thanks for reading. Please tell me what you think in a review, I greatly appreciate them.

~The CABAL~

aussiemma, axel100, BaalRules, BoxOfTrinkets, boxofpiglets, Coyote Laughs, Deviocity, Hartful13, hidden-in-the-pictures, ItalianBabexo8, iCabal, iCarlyangst, iLuvNathanKrEsS, JamesTheGreater, KingxLeon21, Myjumpingsocks, ober22, pairababes, pearlbutton328, Pieequals36, pigwiz, Tech-Man, The Earl of Sandwich, twowritehands, Virgoleo23, Waffels Of Doom, xXACCEBXx

A special thanks to Pigwiz, for allowing me to use the characters associated with Nolan's Bar and Grill. Thanks!


	3. Chapter 3

Chapter Three

An Awkward Dinner * A Proposal

* Good Advice

Isabelle Grace Benson was excited. She was finally going to meet Samantha Puckett. Growing up in the Benson household, she had heard story after story about Carly, but not a peep about the other member of the iCarly trio. She had only found about Samantha after watching several episodes of iCarly at her godmother's house. After she asked Aunt Carly about the golden haired girl, all she received was a sad shake of the head and a muttered something about letting sleeping dragons lie. Not completely understanding the phrase, Izzy understood enough to let the matter drop, at least for the moment. But with her mom getting sick and all, she never did get the chance to ask again.

So Isabelle once again stood in front of the Canlis restaurant, her stomach churning with excitement. Sure, she would be missing her favorite band playing, and the delicious chicken fingers she devoured every Wednesday night, but this WAS the Canlis restaurant. There was just something about this restaurant that just drew her. Maybe it was all the place settings, or it could just be the whole properness of it all. But to be honest, she loved the dressing up part, and seeing all the adults dressed up.

The same maitre d was there when they walked up. Quickly wiping the sneer that seem to have taken a permanent residence on his face, he greeted Izzy and her father quite warmly. "Sir, and young miss, please come this way. The same private room you used last time is reserved for you." They followed him back to the same room, and found it empty. "Once again," the maitre d said, "you're the first ones here..."

Her father smiled a tight smile at the other man, "well, you know, five minutes early is on time..."

Seeming to wither under her father's gaze, the maitre d replied, "of course, of course. If you need anything, please don't hesitate to ask." He quickly departed the room, leaving father and daughter all alone.

Izzy watched her normally well composed father pace the floor with nervous energy. He seemed to be having an internal debate with himself, at times nodding his head while at other times shaking it. She briefly wondered what had her father in such a nervous state when Aunt Carly swept in. Izzy loved seeing her godmother on the red carpet. Elegant was the word most magazines used to describe her. And here she was looking just as elegant in a deep purple dress. But following her godmother was somebody who looked as elegant and composed, if not even more confident. With her long blonde hair and creamy white skin providing a stark contrast to her long black evening dress, Samantha Puckett glided confidently into the room. Izzy could not help but stare, and she heard the sharp intake of breath coming from her father's direction.

Carly walked over to Freddie and kissed him on the cheek. "Freddie." With that, she bent and gave Izzy a tight hug. "Hello Izzy," she said. And in a voice that only Izzy could hear, "my idea..." Carly and Izzy watched as the other two in the room stared at each other silently. Carly coughed softly which broke Sam and Freddie out of their impromptu staring contest. She elegantly tipped her head towards the waiting table, and the four took their seats. On that cue, a seeming legion of waiters descended upon them and dinner was served.

Halfway through the dinner filled with idle chit chat, her father shook his head and pushed his plate away. "I can't do this..." He looked at Carly, "Carly, can Izzy spend the night with you tonight?" After seeing Carly's nod, he asked, "Little one, would you like to have a sleepover with your godmother? I have a lot of work to take care of, and it looks like it's going to be a late night."

Normally she would love to spend the night at Carly's, but Izzy shook her head, never before seeing her father act this way. Standing from her seat, she walked over to her dad and gave him a long hug. "No Poppa, I want to stay close to you tonight. You can make me a bed on the couch and I'll sleep there tonight..."

Freddie gently stroked her hair. "Please Isabelle, it'll be alright. Be a good girl for Carly, and I'll get you that dog that you've been asking for..."

Izzy looked up at her father for a long moment, before she nodded her head solemnly, saying "Ok Poppa, I'll be a good girl."

He avoided everyone's eyes as he silently held his daughter. Breaking the silence, he said, "Thanks Carly, I owe you one." He looked into Sam's eyes for a long while before nodding. "Sam." He kissed his daughter gently on the forehead. "Love you, little one..." With that, he strode out the door, leaving three surprised females in his wake.

* * *

_Freddie was nervous. Full of anxious energy, he paced back and forth in front of the Cheesecake Warehouse. Occasionally, he would stare down at his watch and curse the fates. He had finally decided to propose to his long time girlfriend. And he was all set to propose tonight. The ring was safely tucked away in his right coat pocket. A romantic candlelit table was on reserve for him and his girlfriend. The dinner had already been ordered, from the opening appetizers all the way to the final dessert. But he was missing one rather important thing: his girlfriend. Sighing deeply, he looked around for an appropriate wooden beam to bang his head against._

_Thump._

_Thump._

_Thump._

_He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and looked up expectantly, only to have his hopes dashed cruelly. Another happy couple walked passed him, both eying him with amusement. Sighing again, he turned back to his beam._

_Thump._

_Thump._

_"Hey," he heard a female voice say. "What'cha doing that for?"_

_He looked up quickly and saw his girlfriend standing right next to him. Shaking his head, he thought to himself that no girl should be able to move as quietly as his significant other. "Oh no reason, just passing time while waiting for a beautiful girl..."_

_Her face broke out into her wonderful grin. She looked around, "Anybody I know?"_

_Freddie smiled broadly at her and gathered her up into a hug. "I'm holding her right now," he whispered into her ear. She smirked at him._

_"I've trained you so well," she said, gently nudging him off balance._

_With that, he gently led her into the restaurant and to their awaiting table. After a dinner filled with all her favorites, including fried pickles as appetizers, fried chicken for the entre, and fried twinkies and fried Snicker bars as dessert, Freddie felt not only stuffed, but much closer to death with all the cholesterol he just put into his system. Placing his hand into his coat pocket, he felt the box that had been sitting heavy there. Taking a deep breath, he dropped to one knee and stared up lovingly at his girlfriend. Though she normally hated her full name, he felt that this was an appropriate time to use it. So he said, "Samantha Joy Puckett, I love you with all my heart and I'm willing to shout it out across the Seattle skyline. So will you do me the honor of becoming my wife?" He opened the box, showing a brilliant diamond ring that had taken him many months to afford._

_A look that Freddie had never seen before flashed across her face. Sam stood up, one hand covering her mouth. She looked down at him, her eyes wide. But then, she shook her head. "I... I can't..." She backed away from Freddie, mouthing "I'm sorry" before turning around and fleeing the restaurant._

_A stunned Freddie dropped to both knees and watched Sam disappear into the night, the last that he would see of her for a long time._

* * *

Freddie sat at the bar in Nolan's, slowly trying to drink himself away. He'd been sitting at the bar since he left the restaurant, leaving his daughter, Carly, and THAT woman behind. Though he was in time to watch the last part of the Mauler's set, nothing could distract him from the drink at hand. So he really didn't notice when the band packed up at eleven, nor did he notice when the bar virtually emptied out shortly after. But he did feel the hand that clapped him on the shoulder. "Son," he heard a gravely voice say, "I think you've had enough..."

"No, I haven't. I'm a big boy, I'll know when I've had enough," said Freddie, or so he thought. It came out more than a bit mumbled.

"Coffee you say. Well, ok then." Luke shook his head and gestured to Arnold, "Two coffees, put a little extra in mine. And see if Tom can whip up a little something for Freddie's stomach." Arnold grinned and nodded, yelling something towards the kitchen before placing two coffee cups on the bar. Luke watched Freddie eat the pancakes that were put before him, and after about an hour, he judged him somewhat a bit more coherent, and so began a conversation with him. A long time practitioner of the lost art of listening, Luke sat still as Freddie started to rant and rave about all his conflicted feelings towards one Sam Puckett. After about an hour, during which the bar officially closed down and only the workers and a couple of friends were left, Freddie was done and slumped forward in his seat.

Luke looked over at the man next to him. He was gently reminded of his son, several years dead. "Freddie, son, I don't know the whole story between you and this Sam girl. I know there's stuff that you're not telling me, stuff that you probably haven't even realized yet. You need to go talk to somebody that you trust, really trust, somebody that knows the whole story. You might get a better perspective if you do. But listen to this, you, you're family. I see how you treat the people who work here, and how you treat your daughter. You're a good man. It's rough raising a child by yourself, so if you need anything, anything at all, we got your back, ok son?"

Freddie could only nod mutely at this.

"Ok, you've had over two hours to sober up. Think you can drive now? Touch the tip of your nose with alternating hands." He watched Freddie with a practiced eye. "Ok, not too bad. Go home, ok Freddie."

At the mention of home, Freddie's eyes lit up. Standing slowly up, he looked over at the older man, "Thanks Luke, thanks for everything." After shaking Luke's hand firmly, he steadily moved across the floor, exiting the door with just barely a stumble.

Luke shook his head slightly, and then looked over at the table where a game of poker was being played. "Irish, Tiny, can you follow him and make sure he stays out of trouble?" Two rather large and burly bikers nodded and padded out of the bar. He listened to the roar of two motorcycles fade into the distance, and sat in the chair that Tiny had vacated. After being dealt a hand, he stared blankly at his cards, thinking only about a son long gone.


End file.
